Sorting mail in carrier walk sequence

Abstract

An automated mail sorting system including a display for displaying the image of an item of mail belonging to a carrier route, and input device for associating the image with any of a plurality of stations in a walking sequence of the carrier route, and a sorter having a reader for identifying the item of mail, to sorter for placing the item of mail in a location corresponding to the station in the walking sequence.

1. An automated mail sorting system comprising:
 a computer having a display and an input device, wherein said computer is configured to
 display on said display an image of an item of mail, and 
 receive via said input device, while said image of said item of mail is displayed on said display, an input including a carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with a station in a carrier walk sequence of a carrier route, and 
 
 an automated mail sorting device configured to
 receive from said computer said carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with said station, and 
 place said item of mail in a physical location corresponding to said station in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1  wherein said physical location is a pocket in a sorting case. 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1  and further comprising:
 a database associating items of mail and addresses read therefrom; and 
 a carrier walk sequence database associating addresses in said carrier route with their stations in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 3  and further comprising a reader operative to read any of said addresses from said first database and associate said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database. 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 3  and further comprising a reader operative to read an address from said item of mail and associate said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database if said reader successfully reads said address. 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 3  wherein said carrier walk sequence database associates said addresses in said carrier route with pockets in a sorting case having a plurality of pockets representing said stations. 
     
     
       7. An automated mail sorting method comprising:
 displaying on a display of a computer an image of an item of mail; 
 receiving via an input device of said computer, while said image of said item of mail is displayed on said display, an input including a carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with a station in a carrier walk sequence of a carrier route; and 
 communicating to an automated mail sorting device said carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with said station, thereby causing said automated mail sorting device to place said item of mail in a physical location corresponding to said station in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7  and further comprising configuring said automated mail sorting device to associate said physical location with a pocket in a sorting case. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 7  and further comprising:
 accessing a database associating items of mail and addresses read therefrom; and 
 accessing a carrier walk sequence database associating addresses in said carrier route with their stations in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9  and further comprising reading any of said addresses from said first database and associating said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9  and further comprising reading an address from said item of mail and associating said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database if said reader successfully reads said address. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9  and further comprising associating said addresses in said carrier route with pockets in a sorting case having a plurality of pockets representing said stations. 
     
     
       13. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for automated mail sorting, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium; and 
 computer-readable program code embodied in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to
 display on a display of a computer an image of an item of mail, 
 receive via an input device of said computer, while said image of said item of mail is displayed on said display, an input including a carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with a station in a carrier walk sequence of a carrier route, and 
 communicate to an automated mail sorting device said carrier walk sequence station identifier associating said item of mail with said station, thereby causing said automated mail sorting device to place said item of mail in a physical location corresponding to said station in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The computer program product according to  claim 13  wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to
 access a database associating items of mail and addresses read therefrom, and 
 access a carrier walk sequence database associating addresses in said carrier route with their stations in said carrier walk sequence. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer program product according to  claim 14  wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to read any of said addresses from said first database and associate said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database. 
     
     
       16. The computer program product according to  claim 14  wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to read an address from said item of mail and associate said address with any of said stations as indicated by said carrier walk sequence database if said reader successfully reads said address. 
     
     
       17. The computer program product according to  claim 14  wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to associate said addresses in said carrier route with pockets in a sorting case having a plurality of pockets representing said stations.